


Destined by the Moon

by Mastrmanipul8r (grahamcrakr)



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-04
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-10 08:58:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/784231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grahamcrakr/pseuds/Mastrmanipul8r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sho is a werewolf who loses contact with his pack during a run in with hunters. The hunters manage to injure him severely and Sho barely manages to make it out alive. But while he is weak and vulnerable as he heals, Aiba stumbles upon him as he goes herb gathering in the forest for medicine. Aiba takes Sho home upon seeing he’s hurt and begins to nurse Sho back to health, but he doesn't realize he's got a werewolf in his house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

>  

Sho’s breathing was heavy as he continued to run away from the hunters. His eyes glowed a bright gold as he heard the armed men come closer. He took off running again, dipping in and out of forest foliage, trying to confuse the hunters out of following him.

The full moon may have been out that night, forcing him to partially transform into his werewolf form, but that made him extra vulnerable to the bullets he was sure the hunters were using. He was certainly much faster in this form, but his energy was beginning to run out, the constant fear and chase from the hunters wearing him down. He had kept them running for at least three hours now.

Sho forced himself into the hollow space of a large tree to catch his breath. This was not good. If the hunters kept pushing him like this, he’d never make it back to his pack mates--he’d probably be dead before the night is through.

He dearly hoped his pack was alright. They were all caught unaware as they were about to celebrate the full moon, the hunters suddenly shooting their way through the forest clearing they were in. It forced him and his packmates into running in different directions for safety.

The werewolves were at a slight advantage, having knowledge of the forest and its layout since it was their home, but there were eight hunters out for them. Sho had four hunters just after him, so he assumed the others might not have as much trouble, maybe even being lucky enough to duck out of view and into safety. He especially hoped his Alpha, Ohno, and Ohno’s mate, Nino, made it to safety.

Sho could never understand why hunters were determined to eliminate them. They made sure to keep well away from humans, not wanting to hurt any unnecessarily. Sure, they may have had to steal a few cattle from nearby farms in order to eat, but it’s better cattle than a human, isn’t it?

A tree branch snapped a short distance away from Sho, shaking him out of his thoughts. ‘ _Crap...I gave them too much time trying to catch my breath, now they’ve caught up.’_ He saw a good sized stone nearby his foot and threw it opposite from where he wanted to go, temporarily distracting the hunters with the sudden noise.

He was about to take off running again when a howl echoed in the distance, stopping him in his tracks. It was Ohno! His Alpha was calling for them, an undertone of worry in the howl. Sho barely let out the beginnings of a howl before it turned into a loud whimper. Pain was suddenly filling him in his left shoulder; he’d been pierced by a silver arrow.

Contrary to belief, silver could not cure a werewolf, nor would it immediately kill one. But silver does slow down a werewolf’s healing abilities. Any wound inflicted by silver takes much longer to heal than others, making it the only way to kill a werewolf with the metal.

Sho’s shoulder felt like it was on fire, the skin and muscles around the wound burning as the healing process failed to close the wound, but he had no time to take out the arrow, already running from the hunters once more.

“We managed to shoot one, Nagase! It’s not gonna be able to keep running for much longer once the wolfsbane’s settled in!” Sho heard the shout through the trees and cursed himself. The silver arrow wasn’t going to kill him, but the wolfsbane poison certainly would.

The hunters were right though; if Sho kept running, that would spread the poison much faster to his heart, and once it reached his heart, he’d die immediately. He had to get somewhere safe and soon so he could start working on removing the poison from his body, but looking around the area, he was soon realizing he’d never been in this area of the forest before.

The forest was growing lighter as the moon began its descent from the sky, a sure sign that the sun was soon to rise. Sho could see the edge of the forest and nothing beyond it but what was sure to be a sheer drop down, and felt his heart throb with the prospect that this was the end. He’d be trapped at the cliff’s edge until the hunters caught up with him.

When he reached the edge of the treeline, as he suspected it was a dead end with the only escape a jump off of the cliff. It _was_ a long way down, and if he decided to take the jump, he wasn’t sure he’d make it..but it still sounded like a better prospect than dying by the hands of the hunters.

Sure enough, the hunters had caught up. “There it is!” They remained a small distance away, wary of his potential to attack, but they had him surrounded regardless.

Sho growled at them, teeth elongated into fangs and his eyes still golden in the waning moonlight. Even though the wound in his shoulder was beginning to turn a splotchy black, he remained defensive, hoping that some miracle might come his way in these last moments. He heard the hunters readying their bows, drawing the strings back to shoot silver wolfsbane-tipped arrows. He had to choose now, death by hunters, or death by the cliff.

Nagase, who he presumed was the leader of the group, a tall, black haired man with a crazy grin on his face and fiery hatred in his eyes, chuckled in delight,“It’s got nowhere to run now. Time to die, you wretched beast!”

Sho chose at that moment to fall from the cliff, barely missing the arrows that were aimed at him. He heard surprised gasps and groans after he jumped, but he wasn't sorry for the hunters in the least. At least he didn't give them what he wanted in the end, and that gave him some big of peace as he was sure this fall meant his death.

It felt like he was falling for forever before he felt impact, tree leaves and branches taking the brunt of his fall. He groaned as the tree limbs bruised his sides and cried out as they snapped under his weight, having him domino his way to the cold dirt below.

His breath was uneven once he hit the forest floor on his back, not sure if he had reached the end of his fall. He blearily looked around, trying to figure out where he'd fallen. But looking up, he could see the hunters trying to spot his body.

"Boss, are we gonna go after it?"

"No...there's no way it could have survived that fall. Lets get back to base, see if the others were able to scout out the rest of those beasts."

Sho saw them walk away, relief finally filling him after the long chase. His attention was brought back to the wound in his left shoulder by the overwhelming burn he felt there. Some time during his descent through the trees, the arrow had been pushed all the way through his shoulder, leaving a bloody gaping hole.

The area was still a splotchy black, but it was increasing in size, a sign that the poison was steadily making its way through his veins. He had to get the poison out if he had any desire to live.

As a last ditch effort, Sho dug his claws into his shoulder, forcing a new wound near the original. He screamed out as his pain escalated, nausea and dizziness making him squirm. He could feel his stomach knotting up and his breathing intensify as he felt the need to throw up. Unable to restrain himself anymore, he vomited up blood, blackened from the poison that his body was trying to expel.

Sho vomited a few more times, the last remnants of the poison thankfully making its way out of his body. He was pale, sweaty, and shivering, but that was a good sign. Now it was just a matter of his natural healing abilities kicking in and fixing his wounds, and with one them from a silver arrow, he was sure it would take all day to heal.

He finally collapsed from exhaustion, his body no longer running on adrenaline to keep him going. The werewolf wanted to fall asleep to let his body continue healing, but he still feared the hunters somehow finding him again. However, his body would no longer listen to him, too tired to move anywhere.

 _‘I hope I’m not going to die here. Maybe Ohno, Nino, and Matsujun will find me soon.’_  Sho eventually drifted off to sleep, unaware of the presence that was slowly getting closer to him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know! Aiba hasn't appeared yet! But don't worry, the next chapter is all about him. :) Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Very busy this month with my college graduation and my friends' graduations as well. But now that I'm officially done with school, I should be able to update this a little more frequently.
> 
> This time we're seeing things through Aiba's POV. But starting next chapter, the story will include the both of them. :)
> 
> Oh! And sorry this is so short! I figured a little something would do while I keep working on the next chapters!

Masaki was up before dawn this morning, excited to get a head start on his herb gathering before the sun was too high. It was better to get the herbs while wet with morning dew, or so his old teacher once told him, their distinctive smells were stronger then and made them easier to find. Ever since then, Masaki heeded that rule and went out bright and early once a month to gather the herbs he’d need to make medicine; today was that day.

The young man gathered the supplies he’d need for the trip: a basket, gloves, and scissors, and called for his faithful companion, a light brown Shiba inu. “Taro!! Let’s go!” The dog barked as soon as he reached the door, his fluffy tail wagging excitedly.

Aiba and Taro were soon following along the forest path they took once a month while on the search for herbs. Taro led the way, occasionally sniffing the ground and pausing when he found a potential herb for his master. Aiba would then take the time to carefully remove the parts he needed from the herb, leaving just enough so it may grow again. He did this until his basket was nearly full with enough herbs to last the month.

The gathering had taken them an hour’s walk away from their home and Aiba noticed that they had strayed from their usual path. “Taro, where are we?” Aiba looked around unsurely, trying to find a familiar landmark that could give him some sort of indication as to where they were.

A noise that was too quiet for Aiba’s ears had captured Taro’s attention, his fluffy tail had stopped wagging and his ears were all the way up. He began to growl at the presence, alerting Aiba of what he had heard. “Eh? Taro, what’s wrong? Is something there?” Taro ignored his master and warily began to walk towards the noise, but Aiba was not far behind the dog. Aiba was just as curious to know what had Taro so on edge.

Aiba had to push through some thick bushes and low-lying tree branches before he spotted what Taro must have heard. It was a dark brown wolf, unconscious, if not dead, by the looks of it, lying on its side on top of black stained dirt.

Taro began to growl even more when Aiba began to approach the wolf’s body. Aiba shushed the dog, not wanting to alarm the wolf if it was, in fact, alive. The young man was surprised that they had even found a wolf! Wolves were considered extinct in Japan, especially one of this size. He had never seen a wolf before, but he knew better than to be careless when trying to approach it. Still...something didn’t seem right about the animal, and Aiba wasn’t sure why he felt that way.

When he was close enough to touch the wolf, he could see its very shallow breathing, confirming that it truly was unconscious. Now that he was up close to it, he could see what had stained the earth beneath it black. The poor animal had been shot by something. Seeing that made Aiba’s blood boil! Knowing that wolves were considered extinct but still shooting at one was wrong! Aiba become determined to help the creature then. He didn’t want to leave the wolf here to die; he wanted to save it in any way he could!

He hovered a hand over the wolf to inspect where it had been injured. He found two small gaping wounds above its left front leg. The wolf looked a little ragged in other places as well, but the leg was the worst of it.

He took some of the aloe plant that he found and snapped a leaf open, letting the clear liquid within it cover the tips of his fingers. When he made his first hesitant touch on the wolf, he was relieved that the animal was so far unconscious, it did not wake up and try to bite him. He proceeded, then, to rub the aloe around the wounds, then quickly squished up what remained of the aloe leaf into a quick poultice and carefully filled in the wounds with it.

Content with his work, he then attempted to lift the animal. “Whoa, it actually weighs a lot more than it looks!”

He called Taro over, and after coaxing the dog into seeing that the wolf was not awake, he put made Taro carry the basket of herbs in his mouth. After finally rediscovering where they were, Aiba and Taro were on their way home, the strange, injured wolf cradled in Aiba’s arms.


	3. Chapter 3

‘Am I dead?’ was Sho’s first thought when he finally came to. He felt out of sorts with his brain feeling heavy and foggy. It took some time to notice that he had reverted to his wolf form while he was unconscious and had remained that way. But being in this form had its benefits: his senses were at its best, and if his physical strength was weaker than he’d like, then his senses were his next best protection.

After feeling his senses slowly returning, he grew confused over where he was, the sights, smells and sounds that filled the area being entirely new to him. His werewolf instincts were on high alert, wanting him to flee at the slightest hint of any danger. However, when Sho moved to sit up, the pressure he accidentally placed on his arms to push himself up painfully reminded him of what happened last night.

He looked himself over, noticing the large bandages wrapped around his left shoulder first. The area still felt very tender, and to no surprise really. He was lucky enough to still even have an arm after what it had been through. He noticed a few more bandages around his lower torso and across parts of his legs; probably scrapes and bruises that hadn’t healed as quickly to give focus to the gaping wound in his shoulder.

It was clear that whoever found him was a doctor or healer. The room he was in smelled heavily of various herbs and medicines, and the care to his bandaging was clue enough that this person might not be so bad. It was enough to relax some of the wary feelings Sho originally had upon waking. But in general, this place felt...safe.

Sho’s fuzzy wolf ears perked up upon hearing the sudden humming of a song. It sounded like it had come from just outside of the room he was in. The person humming sounded deep like a man, yet the voice was light and warm. This man didn’t sound dangerous in the least!

Along with humming coming from beyond the door, there were sounds of a knife striking away at a chopping block and boiling water from a pot, indicating that the man was cooking. It smelled tasty so far—Sho could feel his stomach growling at the prospect of food.

He could hear the light steps of an animal padding along the floor, a dog by the smell of it. “Taro! Your paws are muddy! And you’re tracking it all over the floor!” The man’s scolding was not harsh, it was almost teasing. Sho heard the dog bark in response before he heard the man shuffle around the kitchen. The stove clicked off and pots and plates were clunked around before Sho heard the telltale signs of footsteps approaching the door.

Slightly panicked, Sho instinctively looked for a place to hide, but there was no furniture big enough to hide behind...and he still didn’t quite have the strength to move around. So Sho did the next best thing: he pretended to be asleep.

XXXXX

Aiba pushed open the door, his arms filled with towels and bandages, as well as a pot of water carried carefully in his hands. He nudged the door closed with his foot before placing the items on the floor near the wolf.

Aiba was unaware that Sho was feigning sleep, keeping his breath even and his body relaxed. He also had no clue that he was actually dealing with a werewolf, and Sho wanted to keep it that way for as long as he could. The werewolf wasn’t sure Aiba would be prepared to deal with someone of his kind. However, Sho could feel his wolf form fading, the need to stay in this form for faster healing lessened by Aiba’s treatment. Sho didn’t have too much longer before he reverted back to his human form, another day at most.

“I hope I don’t wake you up and you attack me, wolf-san.” Aiba whispered as he ran his hand through Sho’s fur and the wolf was surprised by how gentle the soft touch felt. The young man then removed the bandages, being careful not to prod the wounds more than necessary. They were slightly ruddied from Sho’s blood but they were better than even Sho expected.

“Ah. It’s not as open as it was yesterday. How interesting...” Aiba noted as he inspected the area. “Maybe you’ll be all healed up sooner than expected.”

He took the small pot of water and soaked a towel in it, then used the towel to dab at the wound and other blood matted areas of his fur. When he was done cleaning of the wounds, he grabbed the jar of healing salve he had used on Sho when he first brought the wolf in and scooped a liberal amount of the viscous substance into his fingers.

Just as carefully and gently as before, Aiba did his best to fill in the gaping wounds with the salve. Sho wanted to wince when the herbal salve stung lightly around the open wound, but kept his body relaxed to the best of his abilities.

Aiba carefully rewrapped the bandages before gathering his things and heading for the door. Just before he left the room, he left behind a small dish of food on the floor. “Here’s some food when you wake up! Feel better, wolf-san!”

XXXXX

The door shut with a click and Sho was left surprised by the kind treatment he was given. Just who was this man that so carefully tended to his wounds and left him a meal to eat?

When Sho was sure the man would not return, he slowly lifted himself up, wary of loosening the new bandages. He limped his way over to the food and ate what was offered to him, a large serving of meat flavored with herbs and spices. He surprised himself even more with how quickly he finished off the meal, a testament of his hunger, or possibly how good the food was.

The werewolf decided then that he was safe enough to stay the rest of the day and allow himself more time to rest and heal. Clearly this human wouldn’t do anything to hurt him since he’d been so generous thus far. If the man wanted Sho dead, he wouldn’t have picked him up in the forest in the first place.

Sho found himself yawning, suddenly tired from the full meal. He moved back to his original spot on the small mat laid out for him, arranging himself into a comfortable position that would not irritate his sore wounds.

Before sleep took him, he mentally reminded himself, ‘I must be out of here before morning...’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. I swear you guys must hate me with how long I keep you waiting! Dx
> 
> I'm sorry! But I go through moods when writing, and there are several times where I'm just not willing to write. You wouldn't want me forcing myself to write at those times anyway! My writing is horrible then! And I want to give you guys something enjoyable to read!
> 
> Anyways, we got a little farther! Next chapter, Sho will finally be back in his sexy human form! ;)
> 
> Thanks for the love, guys!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My, my, aren't we getting antsy? Sorry for the wait. Real life can be a bother, but at least I managed to crank this out.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! Thanks for commenting, everyone!

Aiba sat at his kitchen table with a contemplative look on his face. He had never seen a wound as bad as that wolf’s, heal as fast as he’s seeing it. A wound as large and deep as it was would take weeks to fully heal, and yet it has only been a day at most and it looked mostly healed. It was strange, almost...magical.

First off, it was extremely strange that a wolf was in the woods anyways. Aiba heard wolves were extinct in Japan, and other than the ones brought over to zoos from foreign lands, wolves were still supposed to be non-existent. Second, if this was a genuine Japanese wolf, Aiba was surprised someone tried killing it!

‘But how quickly it healed, even for a wolf...’ He stared at the closed door of his bedroom in wonder.

A small nudge to his knee brought his attention to Taro, who looked up at Aiba with hungry eyes. The dog must have become hungry from all of the delicious smells his cooking was making. “Alright, Taro, let me grab your food. You deserve a good meal after helping me out today!” Taro yipped back in excitement.

Aiba set down the dog’s bowl, now filled with the tasty meat he had made and given to the wolf as well. The herbs he had put into the meat were to help with digestion and help keep joints healthy. Of course, he made sure the herbs he chose wouldn’t hurt Taro or the wolf if consumed. There were several that could be deadly to animals.

At that, Aiba remembered the slight purplish tint he’d seen around the wolf’s wounds. Looking at it as closely as he could, he determined that whatever had been shot into the wolf, it had been laced with monkshood, which was also ironically known as wolfsbane.

It just added more to the mystery for Aiba.

“Ah, well no use thinking on it too deeply. I have things to do! C’mon, Taro, we’ve wasted too much time already! Have to make sure the herbs are properly hung up to dry so we can make more medicine.”

The rest of Aiba’s day consisted of working on his herbs: hanging up his latest harvest up for drying, and taking his dry herbs and turning them into seasonings or medicine. What he made was to be sold to the small town nearby. They were always grateful when Aiba came by and delivered his homegrown herbs, and he was glad that he could be helpful.

By the time he was finished with his work, early evening had come. After he made a quick meal for himself and Taro, Aiba decided to check on the wolf once more. The wolf’s wound may have been healing up nicely, but one could never be certain if and when it gets infected. He definitely didn’t want the wolf’s wound to get infected, and leaving dirty bandages were certain to do that.

Grabbing the same items he brought in earlier that morning, he quietly snuck back into the room. Surprisingly, the wolf was still asleep, but he noticed that what he had given the wolf that morning was gone, so he knew the wolf must have moved eventually. ‘Poor thing must have been really hungry too.’

Aiba smiled as he lightly pet the wolf’s fur again. He was glad the wolf seemed pretty tame and hadn’t tried to escape by ripping up his bedroom; it meant the possibility of having his face chewed off was minimal, thankfully.

He set to work again, unwrapping the bandages and checking the wounds for any infections. Everything seemed to be healing up just fine, in fact, they looked even better and more closed up than they did in the morning. Aiba was still dumbfounded over how quickly they were healing, adding to his suspicions of this wolf.

Still, he brushed aside his thoughts to finish redressing the wolf’s wounds before leaving the room. ‘Maybe by morning those wounds will be entirely healed over. How odd...’

XXXXX

The next morning came, bright and early as it usually was for Aiba. He had slept in his small living room on the spare futon he had. He didn’t think it wise to sleep in the same room as the wolf, no matter how tame he thought the creature was. Plus, he was sure Taro would be unhappy with the wolf and bark at it all night.

Taro nudged him with his wet nose, demanding his breakfast from his owner. Aiba rolled over and swatted lightly at the dog, “Taro, I’m still tired. Another thirty minutes, okay?” But the shiba would have none of it and continued to nudge him.

Aiba sighed and relented, finally getting up and making their breakfast. He was so tired because his mind wouldn’t stop thinking about the wolf in the other room. Now that it was morning, and at least eight hours since he had checked on the wolf’s wounds, he wanted to check on them again and see if his suspicions from last night were right, that they would healed over entirely.

Once Taro had his food and Aiba had finished off his own meal, he grabbed what he needed for the wolf once more. He opened the door to his room as nimbly as he could with his hands as full of items as they were. This time though, he had only brought a small bowl of water and towels along for precaution, since the wolf’s wounds looked more than fine when he checked them the evening before. The other thing occupying his hands was another pot of meat for the wolf, since he was sure the wolf would be hungry.

Pushing the rest of the door open with a foot, Aiba entered with a cheerful, “Ohayou!” But the smile on his face transformed into one of shock. Unknowingly the items in his hands slipped out, crashing to the floor with a loud clatter. The sudden noise startled Aiba out of his shock...and it startled the naked man he saw in the middle of his room.

XXXXX

Sho had fallen asleep quite deeply thanks to how at ease he was with his location. With guard down, the last thing he expected was being jarred awake by the loudest clanging he’d ever heard.

He jumped to his feet in a second, claws out, fangs bared, and his eyes glowing their shiny gold.

Sho paused in his attempt at self-defense when he saw who had made the loud noise. It was the man who had been nursing him back to health, back again, he assumed, to check on his wounds once more. It was then that he realized he was no longer in his wolf form, but bare naked in his human skin. Now that he was no longer in his furry disguise, Sho stared at the man in guilty shock. He didn’t expect to transform back so suddenly, but then again, he didn’t expect to stay here so long either. Now that his secret was exposed, how was he supposed to explain this?

Sho let his werewolf features transform back into his normal ones, shortened nails, short teeth, and chocolate brown eyes. Shyly he covered his manhood from the (somewhat) stranger’s eyes and smiled awkwardly at him. “Hi...” he greeted slowly.

The man in front of him was still shocked, his mouth hanging open and his eyes as wide as saucers. Sho would have laughed in amusement, but now was not the time. Eventually he saw the man move, backing away from him and towards the open door. It was then that he heard the dog running towards them, barking and growling the whole way.

The dog rushed towards him and bit him solidly in his right leg. And while he would have easily pushed the dog away, his hands were a little preoccupied...and he was sure the stranger wouldn’t have been happy about having his dog kicked. Instead, Sho flinched before giving the dog a deep warning growl. It had the dog backing off in an instant, heading back to his owner to hide behind.

Now the man looked alarmed. “Wh-who are you? What happened to the wolf that was here!?”

Sho bit his lip. It’s not like he could avoid giving an answer now. “My name is Sakurai Sho, and that wolf you saw was me. I’m a werewolf.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another quick chapter for you! Lots of explanation in this one!

“I’m a werewolf...”

The words rung loudly in Aiba’s ears, almost as if they didn’t want to settle in his thoughts. Still, the proof was right before his eyes in this wolf turned man. “How...how can that be? Aren’t they just a myth?”

“It’s a long story...which I would be glad to tell you about if I weren’t so naked?” Sho awkwardly shuffled in place, hands still covering his manhood.

That grabbed Aiba’s attention, drawing his eyes away from the werewolf’s face and down his nicely toned body, all sleek muscles in his upper torso (especially those arms!) leading down to a tapered waist and strong legs, and he was sure that if the guy turned around, he’d have an amazingly well toned butt as well.

At Sho’s cough, Aiba blushed brightly snapping his eyes away to stare at Taro, who was still hiding behind his legs. “Umm, I’m Aiba Masaki, by the way. I’ll...see if any of my clothes fit you.”

He moved to his dresser, pulling out a t-shirt, boxers, and a pair of sweatpants to give to the naked werewolf. Slowly approaching Sho, Aiba held out the clothes in offering, making sure he did not make any eye contact with the man. “I’ll be outside while you change. You can find me in the kitchen once you’re done...”

Not wasting another second, Aiba hurried out of the room, Taro right on his heels. He sat himself at his kitchen table, head falling into his hands as he finally had the privacy to wrestle with this new revelation.

‘The wolf I had been nursing back to health somehow transformed into this man? I really want to find it hard to believe, but with how fast those wounds healed, I guess being a werewolf might explain some things?’

Aiba exaggeratedly sighed and laid his head on the table. His thoughts inadvertently drifted to Sho’s sexy body, even with the short time he had to admire it, he couldn’t deny that the werewolf was very handsome. ‘It’s just a shame that he believes he’s a werewolf. But of all the things we could have run into while in the forest...’ Aiba reached a hand down to pet Taro’s light brown fur, trying to soothe the shiba’s razzled fur, also soothing his own nerves. “What have I gotten myself into?”

Aiba heard the door open and watched as Sho entered the kitchen. Sho looked curious about his surroundings, though he couldn’t blame the strange man for wondering about where he’s been for the past day or so. Eventually Sho sat himself at the table alongside Aiba with the same shy smile from earlier.

“Thanks for the clothes. They feel so soft! And...thank you for taking care of my wounds as well...”

“Oh, no problem! I’m a healer and make herbal medicines, so I know my way around wounds. You should be thankful to my dog, Taro, because he found you while we were out herb gathering.”

Taro barked then, approaching the two of them, though still carefully keeping his distance away from Sho. Aiba gave Taro a bit of attention before facing Sho once more. "So. Werewolves. They're supposedly real..."

"Yes, they're real. And I am one of them."

"But how is this possible? They aren’t supposed to be real!"

"Werewolves were first discovered in Europe. It is said that the first werewolf was a man who had been attacked by a wolf while hunting in the woods. As he was dying, a demon found him, and the man begged for his life. The demon pitied him and offered him a second chance at life, but still being the sly being it was, it did not tell the man that at the cost of being saved he would be cursed to turn into the animal that bit him when at night.

The man returned home alive, but just as the demon had said, when night came he transformed into the beast that nearly took his life: a wolf that craved human flesh."

Sho saw Aiba's shocked looks as he recalled the legend of the werewolf. He couldn't blame the man for being frightened by the story; werewolves were not to be taken lightly. They could be dangerous creatures. _He_ could be a dangerous creature if he wasn't careful with his control.

"Well that explains how they came about, but how did they come here? How are you one? And why were you hurt?" Aiba blushed when he finished asking his torrent of questions. He didn't want to seem too pushy to Sho.

Sho continued, "It was through the first werewolf's bite that others became werewolves like him. It's like a virus; if you're strong enough to take it, your body accepts the virus and you become a werewolf, if not then you die. Well, just like a disease, the werewolf population grew, eventually spreading to other parts of the world through overseas travel.

Runaways that had taken the bite started to spread it elsewhere, and things were starting to become so bad that werewolf hunters came about. They figured out ways to kill werewolves through special herbs and certain metals, hoping it would reduce the population. Instead it became a massacre of innocent people, werewolf or not. Now it is an age old war between werewolves and hunters."

Sho's eyes began to glow gold from the anger he felt for the hunters. When he heard Aiba gasp, he realized his claws had also come out while he had his hand in a fist, resulting in pricking his flesh and causing blood to drip onto Aiba's table. "Ah! Sorry about that!" Sho unclenched his fist quickly.

Aiba grabbed a towel and grabbed Sho's hand to see the damage, however as soon as he wiped away some of the blood, Sho's wound had closed over, as if he hadn’t cut himself just seconds before. "It's completely gone..."

"Yeah...werewolves have the ability to heal, though the bigger the wound the longer it takes for it to heal up. Sorry for alarming you like that. Kind of reminds me of when I first learned of werewolves. My friend Ohno had been bitten while we were out camping in the woods. Some crazy man had popped out of nowhere and tried to take a chunk out of his arm, but we managed to knock him out and escape. Once we were a good distance away, Ohno noticed the area where he’d been bitten was entirely healed over.

We both found it strange, but once Ohno started showing other symptoms, namely glowing eyes and sharp claws, we knew something was up. It was his boyfriend, Nino, who figured out that Ohno was turning into a werewolf. And because we didn’t want Ohno to feel different and alone, we all took the bite from him and became werewolves too. We didn’t know it would come at the price of constantly being pursued by hunters, or the gnawing desire to hunt for prey...”

Aiba sat himself back down, but the look of astonishment had yet to go away. “So you’re not the only werewolf here in Japan, that means hunters must be here too. That's who shot you, isn’t it? A hunter did this. I was wondering why you had monkshood around your shoulder wound. But what happened to your friends? Where are they?”

Sho grimaced. “Last night was a full moon. My friends and I were out in the woods to safely embrace the wolf change that comes with this phase of the moon. However, the hunters were waiting for us, and we got ambushed. I got separated from them, so I don’t know where they are or how they’re doing.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I just hope they’re okay and safely back at our den.”

Sho noticed how much more at ease Aiba had become after explaining himself to the man. He was glad that Aiba had not disbelieved him and kicked him out before he gave the whole story. Aiba’s willingness to help out, even if it might be dangerous, saved his life, and now he owed Aiba for it.

“Thank you for answering my questions honestly and sharing your story with me, Sho-chan. I now understand the situation better.” Aiba smiled brightly towards the werewolf, stopping Sho from reprimanding him for calling him, “Sho-chan.”

The young healer got up from the table then and began taking out ingredients to make them a meal. He stopped briefly to address Sho once more. “Don’t worry, Sho-chan. You’re free to stay here as long as you need until you’re better suited to find your friends. I’ll protect you.”

Sho wanted to find it hard to believe that someone could be so kind, yet he knew Aiba was not telling a lie, that he was being honest through and through. ‘I can put my trust in this man.’

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. The legend on werewolves is absolutely fake. I entirely made that up. :P I'm sure Wikipedia will have a more legitimate account of how the myth started than me.
> 
> Hope you still enjoyed it though! x)


	6. Chapter 6

The Night of the Full Moon…

There was no time to rest. Ohno had grabbed Nino and they ran off into the woods in an attempt to ditch the group of hunters that had found them, but one had remained hot on their tails. Ohno kept them running, though every werewolf instinct within him was telling him to turn around, fight off the hunters, and protect his pack. But he needed to keep Nino safe, needed to keep his mate safe.

He ducked the two of them into a hollowed crevice in the ground underneath a large tree. It was a fairly decent hiding spot thanks to the tree’s many thick roots clawing its way into the ground from the base of its thick trunk. And with the cover of night, it hid them safely from view, so long as the hunter kept moving forward and didn’t decide to loop back around.

Ohno’s eyes flashed bright red as he sniffed out where the hunter was. The bright red of his eyes was the sign of his leadership. He was what was called the “Alpha,” the protector and leader of his pack. It was his job to look out for his friends, to keep them safe from those who meant harm--namely the hunters. Thankfully the one that had been following them had moving forward, giving them the opportunity to catch their breath.

The moment also gave Ohno the chance to really assess the situation. When the hunters came and disrupted them, he grabbed Nino and ran, earning the attention of the hunter currently following them. He saw Matsujun disappear in the direction of their den, but he had not gained the attention of any of the hunters thanks to being the stealthiest of their pack. He hoped the young man made it back alright.

Then there was Sho. Next to him, Sho was the strongest in their pack. However, Sho was not as fast as him or Matsujun, and before escaping with Nino he saw Sho being chased by all of the remaining hunters. Ohno frowned and unconsciously clutched tighter to Nino's hand. He prayed for the safety of his friend, hoping that Sho managed to shake them off and find a safe place to hide.

Letting a little of his wolf side take over, he leaned his head back and let out a long howl, calling out for his pack. It was currently the only way he’d know whether or not they were okay, and he wouldn’t be comfortable until he knew they were.

Ohno felt Nino stiffen beside him before he was suddenly being elbowed in the ribs. “Shhh! You’re going to draw the hunter back here!” Nino scolded.

“Ah, sorry...I didn’t really think about that. Maybe we should start heading for the den then?”

“I guess. But let’s not head there directly, just in case the hunter ends up finding us.” Nino slipped out from the crevice and dusted off the back of his pants. “Matsujun’s probably already there. He’s lucky he didn’t get followed.”

“I’m more worried about Sho right now. He had most of the hunters follow him, and I think he ran in the opposite direction of the den.”

“Riida, don’t worry yourself over it too much. You’re making me anxious too. I’m sure Sho’s shaken them off. He’ll be safe; now let’s go before the hunter turns around!”

Ohno let Nino guide him back to their den, an underground cellar that kept their visibility to others at a minimum. The less others knew about them, the safer they were, and having a house built in the middle of the woods would be suspicious. With the cellar, the door could be covered with foliage for more camouflage.

As soon as they reached their den, Nino rushed inside while Ohno checked out their surroundings, making sure they weren’t followed and there wasn’t any danger nearby. The coast seemed clear, but Ohno was keeping an ear out in case anything came close.

"Matsujun! Are you here?" Ohno heard Nino call out.

The youngest member of their pack carefully peeked out from his hiding spot, absolutely making sure it wasn't a trap. Upon seeing the two, he hurried over to hug them. "Thank goodness you're safe. I saw a hunter following you two, but couldn't follow because it could've caused trouble. Where's Sho?"

"So he's not with you?"

Ohno sighed. "We were hoping he had somehow made it back here."

"Then he's still out there. Are we gonna go get him?"

"I'm torn. It wouldn't be wise to go out there while we're still unsure about the hunters' whereabouts, but I don't want to leave him out there. I don't even know if he's okay because he didn't respond to the call."

The group fell silent, worry filling their features. Instinctively the group began to come together, reaching out to find comfort in each others' touch. "We just have to hope he'll be okay."

XXXXX

Present...

Sho had finally finished informing Aiba of his situation. Aiba felt much more at ease now that Sho had shared the truth with him. There was still a lot he couldn't fully wrap his mind around, but Sho seemed truthful so Aiba felt he could be trust him. It was just a tad bit strange though, learning about werewolves and having one sitting at your kitchen table.

Aiba peeked at Sho from where he was preparing their food and saw the werewolf trying to play with Taro. He looked so cute trying to entice Taro to come closer to him. For being this supposedly dangerous creature, Sho seemed like he could be a funny man, though serious suited him the best. He was probably the leader of his group, or if not, then maybe he was the protector.

Seeing Sho’s muscles stretch the cuffs of his shirt and pull a little tightly over the chest had Aiba unknowingly licking his lips. ‘I should be mad that he’s stretching my shirt, but yeah...he’s definitely the protector of their group.’

And that was another thing Aiba was surprised about. All of the tales about werewolves depicted them as being hairy beasts, feral and disgusting. But Sho was far from being disgusting, nor was he in any way hairy...at least in this form. So far Sho had been in his wolf form and his human form, but maybe he has a full werewolf form too? ‘Maybe he actually does become one of those beasts in the stories.’

It made Aiba wonder what sort of form he was in the night before while he was being chased by those hunters. Would he have been as handsome and cool-looking as he did now? Or frightening?

A flashback of Sho’s golden eyes and sharp claws came to mind. They were shocking to see, but they weren’t frightening, especially not his eyes. As quick a glimpse as he received of Sho’s gold eyes, he found them to be beautiful, and how could anything so beautiful be considered so evil?

Aiba wanted to ask then if all werewolves had golden eyes, or if there were some variations, like blue and green, maybe a brownish red. The young man was just about to blurt out the question when Sho voice suddenly interjected.

“Are you alright there, Aiba-san? The pot is about ready to boil over, and it seems you’re staring off into space…”

“Oh! Oh, no, I’m alright...just lost in my thoughts. J-Just make yourself comfortable. It’ll be ready in just a few more minutes.”

Sho seemed slightly suspicious, but let it go with small shrug. “Then I’ll help out by going ahead and setting the table then.” The werewolf then set about the kitchen grabbing the necessary dishware along the way, Taro following closely behind him.

Aiba found himself easily distracted by the scene once again. It was all so homely, Sho didn’t seem tense, or extremely anxious. He fit with Aiba and Taro as if they were close friends and hung out all the time together.

Shaking off the feeling once more, Aiba finally turned off the pot and carefully brought it over to the table. He doubled back for some cooked rice and sauce, and once everything was placed down, dinner was ready. Both clapped their hands together and gave their thanks before digging right in.

Aiba could immediately tell Sho was enjoying his food, if the loud slurping from his side of the table was any indication. He watched, amused, when Sho enthusiastically shoveled a very long section of noodles into his mouth until his cheeks were stuffed. Sho’s eyes were wide and bright, clearly enjoying the food that Aiba had made, and knowing that somehow made Aiba happy as well.

It wasn’t long before all of the food was gone, fully enjoyed by Sho and Aiba. The two of them leaned back, stomachs bloated by the good meal. A sigh escaped Sho followed by another bright smile.

“Well that was amazing! Thank you for the meal, Aiba-san.” Aiba blushed and gave his own shy smile. “If only my friends were here. They would have greatly enjoyed this meal too.”

Aiba saw the look of worry that flashed along Sho’s face. It was then that he wondered about Sho’s friends, if they were out there looking for him right now. Were they also worried? Were they possibly hurt? What if the hunters went after them once they presumed Sho was dead?

Aiba was about to share his worries when Sho interjected, "Aiba-san, thank you for taking care of my wounds and watching over me. But I believe I'm well enough now to go out and search for my friends. I don't want to inconvenience you even more than I already have."

A premonition of hunters ambushing Sho came to mind and he gasped. "W-wait! Sho-chan, you should stay one more night! The hunters might still be out there!"

"I doubt they'd still be scouting out the area. It's been two days already."

"But if they are out there, they'll kill you! If it were the two of us, then they might not suspect a thing!”

“They may very well think we’re both werewolves and kills us both…”

Aiba bit his lip at Sho’s point, but he just wasn’t sure how to explain his uneasy feeling to the werewolf. “C-can you just trust me on this? I think we should wait until dawn before we head out to find your friends.”

Sho frowned, eyebrows furrowing as he seriously considered Aiba’s words. Though the young man smelled of worry, his heartbeat did not flutter under the telltale signs of a lie, so Sho knew Aiba was being earnest. He wasn’t sure why Aiba was so fearful, but the wolf-ish instinct within him decided it was a safe enough bet to believe in him.

“Okay...one more night. But once dawn arrives, I’m heading out. I don’t want to keep my friends waiting too long!”

Aiba let out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He was relieved that Sho was listening to him and without warning scuttled to the other side of the table to hug the werewolf.

“Aiba-san! What are you doing?!”

And for the moment, Aiba’s uneasiness left him. But it was the last bit of easiness and comfort the two of them were going to experience before the night finished.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suppose it's about time I updated. I was having some serious writer's block, not quite remembering where I wanted to take this fanfiction in the first place. I /think/ I have a clearer idea now...but we'll see how that goes.
> 
> At least you finally got to see Ohno, Nino, and Matsujun!
> 
> And hopefully I don't take too much longer on the next chapter. (With a job keeping me busy right now, we'll see!)


End file.
